Going to the art musuem

I had Bible study in Wichita this morning.  Sarah wasn't able to go along today and with Allen working late tonight, I thought it would be a good opportunity to go to the Wichita Art Musuem.

A few days ago I asked Al if he'd like to go with me, but he does NOT like art museums.  No appreciation at all.  BORING for him. Especially hates modern art.  

Once at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, our granddaughter saw some modern art and commented "I can paint better than that!"

Anyway, today was a good day for me to go!  

I am so glad to have Google Maps!

Downtown Wichita around the river bend is so directionally challenging!

And I think I'm pretty good with directions - just not his place!

It was only $5 with my senior discount.  Saturdays are free but since I was in town anyway...

There is a Chihuly glass floor on the 2nd level.  If you want to walk on it, you have to take your shoes off.  You can read about this artist here.

 


I came mostly to see the Hudson River School Landscapes, a collection of 41 masterpieces of early American art history.

It is on display  through April 30.

 You can just feel the power of the falls in this painting!   The roar of the water!  I would have been terrified to be at the edge of that rock!  Crazy men!

The Kindred Spirits is a painting by Asher Brown Durand, a member of the Hudson River School of painters. It depicts the painter Thomas Cole, who had died in 1848, and his friend, the poet William Cullen Bryant, in the Catskill Mountains.

Can you just imagine these chaps dragging their art equipment along the Hudson River (probably not any good roads, for sure!)  

But what magnificent artwork!

 I loved this one!   The paint shimmered and was layered in such a beautiful way!!  

My copy was blurry, so I found this on-line.  (Odd thing though, it was flipped.)

 'Study from Nature: Rocks and Trees', by Asher Brown Durand

There were other works in the museum to see.

 Bronc Twister by Charles Russell  -   cast bronze

 Cut paper sculpture - Clark Britton

The Raven               Man Driving Car

 The Homesteader - by N.C. Wyeth
Painted as an illustration for a story by Wilbur Daniel Steele entitled "Green Vigil: A Saga of the West" printed in Ladies Home Journal in Sept. 1930.
"Ivy stands atop a hill where she recently buried her husband."  
A tribute to those who settled the west.

Mary Cassatt's "Mother and Child"  (1890)

There is a children's area and there are classes offered too!

 The original copies of the husband and wife above:

 Doesn't she look like a man?

Digital art -

I think it was a murder mystery, but I don't know it; filmed in a wierd way.

Lloyd Atkins, blown glass 1957

Steuben Division, Corning Glass Works

I have a 3 branch candelabra too!

Mom used it at her wedding in 1949, I used it in mine in 1975 and Jill used it in her wedding in 2002.

What a fun time I had!!

Birding in February

I was not able to go on the birdwalk with fellow "birders" this month.  We go on the 1st Saturday of the month, but I had a conflict this time.  But I've done my own "birding" close by my house.

Taken from my bedroom window.

 

 And from a walk around our pond.

I love the reflection in the water!

Another type of "bird"

Next month, our Arkansas family will be here.  Maybe one or more of them will want to come join me in the walk!

Flight to Rome; Ostia

Our alarm went off at 2:15 a.m.  Luckily we had gone to bed early so we were able to get 5 hours of sleep.  Bus left our hotel in Athens at 3:15 for the airport.   Jim doesn't mind getting up so blamed early.  Any one else smiling??

 Sun was rising as we were en route to Rome.

 We flew over the Vatican.

When we landed in Rome, we took a bus ride to Ostia Antica.

Ostia may have been Rome's first colonia.

morning worship

Ostia Antica is a large archeological site that was the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome. "Os" is the derivation of the Latin word for "mouth".  At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport and at one time the most important port in the Mediterranean.  Ships would load cargo onto barges that would navigate up the river into Rome.  To use this port, you would need to pay a tax to Rome.  Due to silting, this site is now 2 miles from the sea.  

The Apostle Paul would have sailed into this port when he came to Rome.

Umbrella pine

entrance to the old city

 

The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics.

 
 Many of the mosaics have references to the sea commerce

 

this design is seen in some Roman architecture;

predates the Nazis use.

 

 

 There was a restaurant there so we all had some lunch.

 Then we got on the bus for a trip to the catacombs.